It says a lot about the Republic of Ireland that, on their World Cup debut against a heavily fancied host nation, they left Stadium Australia on Thursday disappointed that they had not earned at least a point.

However, that disappointment will have been replaced by renewed hope after Nigeria held Olympic champions Canada to a goalless drawon Friday, a result which has blown Group B wide open.

Australia are now in a strong position to progress despite the absence of star striker and captain Sam Kerr, who is ruled out of the co-hosts' game against Nigeria after missing the win over the Republic with a calf problem. 

The Republic, meanwhile, retain hope of reaching the knockout stages despite that opening defeat.

On Thursday, the home support were, as expected, enthusiastic about a first game on Australian soil, but it was those in green who made the most noise.

The chants of 'Ole, Ole, Ole' before the teams came out were genuinely spinetingling, and that was not lost of the Irish players.

"That was crazy," said Republic striker Kyra Carusa on standing in the tunnel before the game.

"You try to make it feel like it is any other match and you try to remind yourself that it's a game.

"You could hear the echoes and cheers from the crowd when you are yards away. It is unbelievable to hear that echo between that tunnel.

"It condenses itself and comes at you and hits you in the face. You walk and it opens up into this immaculate stadium.

"I don't know how many players can say that they actually get to do that. 

"It meant everything. Even after the game, you look high to low and you see Irish flags flying all over and I just wanted to wave to every single individual person I could because it was just so electric to see that."